You need the rejoicing King

V11: The beloved king rejoices! This David had appointed priests to “raise sounds of joy”. The King Rejoices in God. And isn’t his joy infectious, you look at his smile and you can’t help but begin to smile… And the point?

Andrew Bonar observed: “when we read this Psalm as spoken of and by Christ, how much is every verse enhanced?"

This is David’s prayer of his desire, but truly it is the prayer of the True David, the True Beloved. Of G reat David’s greater Son: King Jesus. Here him sing this song. Here the voice of the one who has always been satisfied in God – even in the wilderness of his great suffering at the cross. King Jesus rejoices. Hear Jesus’ thirst for God, My God! Jesus’ vision of God! Hear his estimate of God’s loving kindness, for the Son always enjoyed his Father’s steadfast love, from eternity past. Hear his soul satisfied with his Father’s food! His mouth is full of praise! He follows hard after God! The King Rejoices!

In Exodus 28:29 God says the names of the people should be written on the breastplate of The Priest so that he can carry them into the Sanctuary on his heart. Remember, a mere king could not do this. David couldn’t.
But, the Lord Jesus Christ is both KING and PRIEST. And he will carry us to his Father - at whose right hand he sits - carrying us on his heart, on the basis of his blood shed for us.

Horatius Bonar’s hymn says it well:“Upon a life I did not live, upon a death I did not die, Another’s life, another’s death – I stake my eternity”

This is good news if you are in the wilderness. Longing for change, this song says: Don’t look within, look to the rejoicing king. See his joy in the Father. See Jesus dancing in the presence of the angels as another person is given him by the Father. See his joy as he draws you to himself. See his delight as he reveals his Father to you. See Jesus happiness as your name is written on his heart. Share in Jesus happiness as he carries you into his relationship with his Father. We don’t have to whip up joy in ourselves, nor just watch his joy from outside the window – he invites us in. Psalm 63 is a call to be carried into the society of the Triune God. To look upon him, away from ourselves, and find our joy and our life in the King’s Life! Taste and see the love of God in Jesus. And now picture the effect of this on the church.

How does this shape us as we pursue the vision God has given us to LOVE, EXPLAIN and INVITE? Consider Marcus Brigstocke. Love. When I read his book I wept – and that’s what I’d want to do if I was sat with him, or the many like him our city – who have suffered loss – in his case his best friend died, who fear being alone, who wish there could be a god but can’t bear the gods they’ve heard of. The same could be said of many in our society, rioters and their victims. People longing for more – not to escape their situation, but to truly live in it. After much listening and weeping I’d want to explain that the god people are searching for, the one all our desires and searching point to is called Jesus.

And then I’d want to invite him into what? To formal miserable religion? No. My God quenches the thirsty as they receive the Son he loves. My God fills the hungry as they feed on him. My God meets your inconsolable longing, not saying save yourself, not saying search inside yourself. But simply: Behold Rejoicing King Jesus! Here is good news: When you don’t desire the LORD, the King does. His joy is open to all – when your heart searches for satisfaction, look to the God of love – look to Jesus who rejoices in God his Father. The story of Jesus is the fairy tale that came true in space and time. The story of Jesus says: you’re not alone. The story of Jesus says that the one we’ve been looking and longing for is the Lord Jesus Christ.

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